


Throw Rocks Kiss Hard

by jaeger_delta (deltasierra)



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: First Kiss, First Time, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-19
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-05 05:16:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1090041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deltasierra/pseuds/jaeger_delta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What the hell. The brat /likes/ him. And has been treating Raleigh pretty much like an eight-year-old treats the classmate they have a super secret crush on. Flinging insults and rocks their way and hope they never notice, or something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> After writing a whole bunch of AU stuff I thought I'd get back to semi-canonverse with some good old fashioned hate you punch you kiss you Ranger boys.
> 
> May continue with the whole Chuck is a virgin theme, since Chuck being all violent and demanding about it to Raleigh would be fun to see.
> 
> (I intended this to be canon. It's not. Emotionally compromised by Jaeger pilots, etc)

Raleigh Becket’s heard of Chuck Hansen. Who hasn’t? The youngest, most brilliant Ranger with the highest Kaiju kill score. Graduated Jaeger Academy at 15, summa cum laude, more or less - the Academy doesn’t really do fancy hats or flying colors. The Hansen kid has been jockeying in sims longer than he’s had pubes.

 

First time he gets a real good look at the kid’s face is when Chuck’s grinning at the cameras after taking down Mutavore in Sydney, Hansen senior in the background. It’s a cocky grin, but the lines in his face are telling the press to fuck off, because what the hell do they know about being a Ranger? Something in Hansen’s eyes tell Raleigh the kid isn’t even comfortable in the spotlight. Wants to dive back into the conn-pod and smash more things.

 

Second time he gets a real good look at the kid’s face, it’s in front of him, which is definitely a better way to appreciate it. Except Hansen junior opens his mouth and bullshit flies out. Somehow, the kid really knows where to hit Raleigh where it hurts. _Fuck you, you little brat, you weren’t there. You didn’t feel your brother ripped out of your goddamn brain. I don’t care how fucking brilliant everyone says you are, you definitely need a kick in the ass._

 

Third time he gets a look at Chuck Hansen it’s a blurry presence inside Mako’s memories. He didn’t realize they share so much history. Doesn’t get most of the details, either, before their drift goes awry and they nearly blow up the goddamn Shatterdome.

 

Fourth time, Chuck Hansen’s face gets intimately acquainted with Raleigh Becket’s fist. Because the little shit is right, Raleigh fucked up, except Chuck’s yelling at both of them and Raleigh knows he’s the one who flung Mako into the RABIT. Putting two people with PTSD in a Jaeger together maybe wasn’t the best idea, but he’ll die before he lets Chuck Hansen gloat about it to his face.

 

Chuck has an interesting look on his face when he realizes Raleigh is still ghosting with Mako and her moves are in Raleigh’s body, flinging him to the ground with a leg hook and way more speed and flexibility than a man of Raleigh’s size should be wielding.

 

There’s more of Chuck in the Drift the second time he and Mako fight together in Gipsy Danger. Mako respects him, which was about the last thing Raleigh was expecting to see. He expected me to do better, is what he gets from Mako through their connection. Chuck is strong and intelligent, she communicates wordlessly, a dedicated and responsible pilot. So are you, Raleigh thinks. But Mako is adamant. He’s not usually this reckless, she argues. What’s so unusual now? You are, she answers. Raleigh doesn't get it. So Mako shows him.

 

What the hell. The brat _likes_ him. And has been treating him pretty much like an eight-year-old treats the classmate they have a super secret crush on. Flinging insults and rocks their way and hope they never notice, or something.

 

So he’s seeing Chuck in a different light now. Wonders what he might look like naked, in that different light and all. And Raleigh spots Chuck in the crowd, giving  him this slightly dimpled smile as Raleigh greets Herc. Well, more like an optimistic nod. It’s the most positive response Chuck has given Raleigh so far. And goddammit, it gets to him. Curse those fucking dimples, how dare he.

 

Raleigh Becket is a man of action, when he's not traumatized and trying to forget he is still alive whilst his brother isn’t. So he finds Chuck, follows him from his quarters through a relatively quiet hallway that leads to Striker Eureka’s maintenance bay, and when Chuck spins around to see who is stalking after him Raleigh surges forward and slams him into the wall.

 

Oh, those are some fine muscles, all round and steel and possibly _rippling_ against Raleigh’s arm.

 

“The fuck, Becket?” Chuck growls, and Raleigh is immensely satisfied at having caught him off-guard. And isn’t going to waste any time getting into a discussion with Chuck, since he might as well be talking to his dog instead. Who would be a much better listener.

 

So Raleigh leans forward until his lips brush against Chuck’s ear. “You _like_ me,” he whispers, self-satisfaction thick on his tongue.

 

Chuck pretty much flings Raleigh across the hallway. He sort of expected that, except not the strength that went behind the push, so it takes him a second longer to regain his balance. A second in which Chuck grabs his sweater and slams Raleigh into the wall instead.

 

Chuck’s face is all huffy and red and also phenomenally pissed off, which honestly isn’t much different from his usual expression.

 

Raleigh figures, what the hell, if Chuck is going to beat him up he might as well get the most out of it, so he curls his arm around Chuck’s lower back, slides it down and grabs a handful of ass. Which feels fantastic, honestly, and totally worth Chuck headbutting him half a second later.

 

This is where he figured the next thing landing on his face would be Chuck’s fist, or maybe the kid would just knee him in the dick and run, but instead Chuck’s hands are still clutching his sweater and he’s being pushed against the other wall.

 

Raleigh laughs. “You _like_ me,” he repeats.

 

“Fuck you,” is all Chuck manages. Kind of raspy and hoarse, that came out.

 

Raleigh grabs that sensational ass again and pulls, kind of smashing their crotches together and well now, seems like Hansen junior’s got a hard-on. Raleigh’s own dick is definitely starting to pay attention.

 

Chuck tries for a fiery, angry glare at Raleigh and misses, hitting steamy and sultry instead.

 

Raleigh rolls his hips against Chuck’s and they both groan. It’s the sweetest sound Raleigh’s heard in ages.

 

He angles his face towards Chuck’s. “I like _you_ ,” Raleigh says, grinning like an idiot.

 

“Fuck you,” Chuck repeats, but it sounds more like an invitation.

 

“Maybe later,” Raleigh laughs, and heat flares up low in his stomach when he feels Chuck harden at that. Like it didn’t even occur to the brat before and his imagination just kicked in. Raleigh grins and grinds into Chuck, driving more sweet sounds out of those wonderfully curved lips.

 

Since Chuck isn’t really saying anything useful anyway, Raleigh decides to capture those lips and see what else they’re good for.

 

Chuck’s kissing is, well, interesting. Like he wants to but isn’t sure what he’s doing. That’s okay, Raleigh does know what he’s doing, so he reaches up a hand to tilt Chuck’s jaw, thumb pressing down on the lower lip to get that mouth open a bit more, and slips his tongue inside.

 

Chuck nearly bites it off, pushes himself off Raleigh, wipes his mouth. “The fuck was that!?”

 

Raleigh raises an eyebrow. “That was my _tongue_. You don’t like?” Raleigh’s hands, now sadly empty of Chuck, slide down his own chest and abs. Chuck’s eyes keenly follow the movement.

 

Chuck’s face is possibly scrunching up with conflicting emotions. He can’t be serious though, Raleigh figures. Surely the kid’s frenched before? He remembers, with a slight sting, the shit he and Yancy did in their glory days. But then, these aren’t the glory days. These are the dying days of the Jaeger programme and possibly the world. Maybe Chuck hasn’t had the time of his life and hasn’t been living it up. Maybe he grew up like Mako did, a singular mind with a singular purpose. But Mako is all steel and discipline, and Chuck is a raging mess poured into a conn-pod suit. Dedicated, brilliant, yes. And Raleigh remembers what Herc was like back in the day, and something about the two of them Drifting starts to make sense. They can barely look each other in the eye, but inside a Jaeger, maybe, just maybe, they are the perfect storm.

 

Well, he isn’t about to get all hugging-it-out now, so instead, Raleigh hitches his sweater up, exposing what he knows to be a set of killer abs.

 

Chuck’s jaw kinda drops. It’s cute.

 

Raleigh slithers his other hand down to his crotch and palms his erection through his jeans.

 

Pretty sure he can see Chuck’s mouth water, there. And Chuck just kind of makes a noise at him.

 

Raleigh sighs, steps forward, closes the distance between them, pushing Chuck into the wall again. Grabs his jaw, angles it, same as before. “Don’t bite this time,” Raleigh says.

 

Chuck doesn’t.

  


 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I said this was going to have a canon ending... but it's not. These two jackasses had the goddamn nerve to _fall in love_ on me, when all I was planning on was some smutty porn without ~feelings~. Bloody Jaeger boyfriends and their dimples and shit. 
> 
> I swear I didn't mean to troll you all. Thanks for putting up with me. I will make up for it very very much in the next chapter. *grin*

The night before Operation Pitfall, Raleigh Becket can’t sleep. And can you blame him, really? He’s tossing and turning, thinking about Yancy, about Mako, about Gipsy Danger. About the odds that are too small and the risk that is too big. Trying to push that huge burden off his back and think about the small stuff, so he doesn’t get crushed under the weight of the world. Small stuff, like the way Mako narrows her eyes and tilts her head when she disapproves. How the still-raw edges of losing Yancy hurt less now that Mako has felt some of them through the Drift. The way Gipsy’s core lights up and spins in the dark, all power and beauty and brute strength. How fucking fantastic it feels to swing a cargo container ship into a Kaiju bastard’s head.

 

And Chuck. He’s trying _not_ to think of Chuck. All the sweet little moans and breaths that escaped the kid’s reddened mouth when Raleigh’s hands swerved underneath his shirt and oh man, the feel of those hard muscles on his fingertips, twitching with Chuck’s short, shaky breaths. The taste of Chuck’s hesitant tongue flicking towards his, the throb of Chuck’s dick against his when their tongues intertwined, how Chuck grinded his own hips towards Raleigh, and the low groan that Chuck worked out of Raleigh when his trembling hands sought their way around Raleigh’s body and traced the curve of his spine.

 

Raleigh’s hands attacking Chuck’s belt and zipper, digging into his boxers and then Chuck’s teeth on his lips and Chuck’s fist in his face and that part was a lot less pleasant. Chuck going oh-fuck-sorry-fuck-dammit and running off.

 

Must’ve been some sort of instinctual thing, Raleigh figures, tracing the cut on his lips with his tongue. He’s added it up by now, what with Chuck’s fumbling and blushing and going ‘oh, uh, what’ every other second of their make-out session. Chuck hasn’t done any of this stuff before. With anyone. Ever.

 

Raleigh’s trying to sleep but instead he’s rutting into his mattress trying to get some damn friction and finally decides, fuck it, he’s going to jack off to the kid like the pathetic old dude he is, because there’s no time like the present and those damn dimples keep appearing in his vision. Seducing Chuck is one thing, and he’d be doing it right now, if he hadn’t figured out the kid was a virgin. And that’s just, well, Raleigh’s own first time wasn’t a smashing success and he’s not going to up and badger Chuck into it. Even if this might be the last night either of them is still in one piece. Fuck, now that he’s thinking like that, having sex with Chuck is definitely on his bucket list. Raleigh buries his head in the pillow and tries to think about things that make him sad instead of horny. But when his consciousness pulls up Yancy, all he sees is Yancy with a grin and thumbs up, like, go for it, baby bro. God fucking dammit.

 

So he’s probably fallen asleep when there’s a knock on his door. That’s nice. At least he can dream about the kid. Probably wake up in sticky sheets, but he’ll take it in stride. Raleigh gets up, opens the door, and there’s Chuck, who has his mouth open and was going to say something but is staring at the considerable tent in Raleigh’s boxers instead.

 

"Oh good, you're finally here," Raleigh grins. Grabs Chuck’s wrist and yanks him inside, crowds him against the door and starts kissing him like the rest of the room is drained of oxygen and all the air is inside Chuck’s lungs.

 

Chuck’s hands flail and push at him but not with much willpower behind them, and pretty soon they’re digging into Raleigh’s sides and Chuck is groaning and grinding into Raleigh. Who is so hard it fucking hurts, and this is his dream and he can do whatever the hell he wants, so he rips at Chuck’s pants again, sucks and bites at his neck, and growls, “Come on, babe, I wanna fuck you.”

 

Chuck knees him in the stomach. Raleigh doubles over and sags to the floor.

 

Fuck. He’s not dreaming. The dull pain in his stomach agrees. Chuck is here and he just fucked up something major.

 

“You fuckin’ arse,” Chuck spits out. “I didn’t come here for… goddammit, not like this.” He spins around, absolutely ready to leave.

 

Raleigh gets up so fast it’s a blur and slams his hand on the door, blocking Chuck. If the kid wants to leave, okay, but he’s going to need an answer or two, first.

 

“What do you mean, not like this?” Raleigh says, his breath on Chuck’s neck and trying to stand back enough so his dick isn’t riding up against Chuck’s ass. That’ll probably get him punched in the face again.

 

Chuck turns around, shoves Raleigh away with both hands. Then clenches his fists and just glares, and Raleigh can see the storm of thought and emotion, Chuck’s lips pressed together tightly in a thin line because he can’t or won’t say.

 

Raleigh sighs. “I’m sorry,” he starts, running a hand through his hair. “I… thought I was dreaming, or something. It’s stupid. I didn’t figure you’d actually show up. I couldn’t sleep thinking about you, so…”

 

Chuck’s hands uncurl and dangle nervously at his sides. “I couldn’t sleep either,” he mumbles. His eyes flit up to meet Raleigh’s. “You were thinking about me?”

 

“Yeah,” Raleigh smiles. He isn’t quite sure what’s gonna happen, now. He knows what he wants to happen, but the real question is, is Chuck gonna go for it? Raleigh has a pretty good guess as to why Chuck is here in his quarters, but still doesn’t want to push the kid.

 

Chuck bites his lip. It’s sexy as hell. Goddammit.

  
“I… I want to…” he starts, then shuts down again. Shakes his head, turns towards the door again. “Forget it.”

 

“Tell me what you want,” Raleigh insists. He remembers what Pentecost asked him at the Wall. The question that brought him back here, back to the Shatterdome, which feels so much more like home to him than anything else. Somehow, he doesn’t think posing a similar question to Chuck is going to do much good. But the sentiment is the same, isn’t it? The world is coming to an end. “Just tell me.”

 

Chuck places his hand on the door, his nails scraping into the metal. He takes a deep breath, his shoulders hitching up, and then falling as he lets it out.

 

“You figured it out, haven’t ya?” Chuck sneers. “Fuck you. You think it’s a great fuckin’ joke, anyway, makes ya feel good about yourself, me showing up, like I’m going to fuckin’ beg for it.”

 

Chuck looks back at Raleigh over his shoulder. The acid in his voice doesn’t match the pleading look in his eyes, and both cut into Raleigh like a knife. Chuck’s chock full of complicated emotions and zero coping skills, and so fucking gorgeous. _Goddammit, kid, spit it out, because I know and I’ll make it so good for you, so much better than it was for me, as good as it can be under these circumstances._

 

Raleigh hazards a few steps closer to Chuck, but no touching. “I’m serious about this,” he says. “But I’m not gonna push you. Just… tell me what you want. Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

 

Chuck turns away again and leans his head against the cold steel of the door. “I like you,” he breathes. It’s the first time he’s confessed to it, and a spark of heat flies up through Raleigh’s chest and gets stuck in his throat. He tries to swallow it away. It doesn’t work.

 

“I don’t wanna die not knowing,” Chuck finally says, barely audible, weakly pushing his right fist into the door. Raleigh walks up to him, close enough to feel the heat come off Chuck’s skin, hear his jagged breaths. He wants to get his hands and lips everywhere on Chuck so much it physically hurts.

 

“It’s okay, it’s nothing to be ashamed of --” Raleigh starts, and clearly he becomes a moron when he’s horny because Chuck’s elbow flies into his gut.

 

“You’re such a fuckin’ tosser!” Chuck yells, turning around and shoving at Raleigh again, stepping forward as Raleigh steps back. “I fuckin’ _waited_ , and then you left, like everyone else --” Chuck shuts himself up so fast his teeth clack together.

 

Raleigh is stunned. Seriously, frozen at the spot. His eyebrows go up and long curved lines appear on his forehead. “You… waited? And I left?” He tries the shake the stupid from his mind. He left when Yancy died, so Chuck… he must’ve been, what, 17? The pieces fall into place and _fuck_.

 

He sits down on the bed. “Well, shit,” he mumbles. Glances up at Chuck. “I thought you figured, I’m pretty hot and you didn’t want to die a virgin, so --”

 

“You are, and yeah, nah, I don’t,” Chuck replies. He looks more at ease, now that he’s fessed up.

 

“But it’s more than that,” Raleigh says. Chuck doesn’t just _like_ him. And now it makes sense that Chuck was a total douche to him from the second Raleigh set foot in the Hong Kong Shatterdome. Like Chuck’s heroes up and left and he had to clean up their shit. No wonder he’s proud of his accomplishments and doesn’t hesitate to shove that into Raleigh’s face, hell-bent on proving he’s better than the washout who abandoned him.

 

Chuck walks up to Raleigh, hovering over him. Raleigh looks up. He’s been impressed with Chuck since day one, even when he was being a little shit. He has no doubt Chuck is a better pilot than he is, stronger, smarter, better at following orders. And he’s so goddamn handsome it almost hurts to look.

 

So maybe Chuck’s in love with him. And maybe Raleigh isn’t in love with Chuck, but could be, might be falling _right now_ the way Chuck’s eyes lock with his and convey half a decade of want and desire and all the desperation of this somehow being his last night. And Raleigh wants, just as much. Wants to desperately tell Chuck it’ll all be fine but they are both soldiers so he knows that’s bullshit and Chuck is going to laugh in his face at that.

 

He reaches out and his fingertips brush against Chuck’s hand. Chuck hesitates, but then his fingers curl around Raleigh’s with a firm grip. Raleigh tugs, and Chuck steps closer until their knees meet. Raleigh runs his hand up behind Chuck’s knee and pulls it up beside him, and Chuck follows, sinking down onto Raleigh’s lap.

 

Raleigh’s arms wrap around him and pulls Chuck in close, embracing him. It’s the first time they sit like this, at ease, without punching each other or making out. It’s nice.

 

Raleigh rests his forehead on Chuck’s shoulder. “My first time sucked,” he starts. “I was 14. I had no idea what I was doing. She was 15, said it was love, but after we did it she just pushed me away and ignored me. I felt like shit.” Raleigh’s arms tighten even more around Chuck. “First time with a guy, I was 18. It wasn’t much better. I thought I had something to prove, said I didn’t need love, said it was just a fuck. Wasn’t.”

 

Chuck’s arms wrap around Raleigh, too.

 

“When me and Yance made it through the Academy, man, those were the days,” Raleigh continues. “We had our pick of fans, any gender we liked, any time of day and night.”

 

Chuck scoffs at that.

 

Raleigh sits back a little, looks up at Chuck. “Never forged a real connection, though,” he says. “Not like, being together with someone.” Raleigh pauses, searches for confirmation in Chuck’s eyes, or maybe trying to communicate some kind of apology. “Didn’t think… anyone was waiting.”

 

Raleigh’s hands slide down Chuck’s back and rest there, his thumbs finding the dimples there and running slow circles over them. For Chuck, it’s not about being ashamed of his lack of experience, Raleigh’s figured out. Chuck said he waited. Like he could’ve been with someone else, had opportunities, but didn’t take them.

 

When it finally dawns on him, this aching, almost painful tightness blooms up in Raleigh’s chest, gripping at him so hard he has to catch his breath. _When Chuck said he didn’t want to die ‘not knowing’, he didn’t mean sex. He meant sex with_ me _._

 

“Fuck, I’m an idiot,” Raleigh mumbles. Looks up at Chuck again. “You waited for me to be your first?”

 

Chuck punches him, playfully. “Finally catching up, ya wanker?” he smiles.

 

Oh goddammit there are those dimples again, and Raleigh’s pretty sure he isn’t going to let go of Chuck tonight if Pentecost himself ordered him to, Herc had a gun to his head and Kaiju attacked the Shatterdome.

 

Raleigh slides his hands down, pretty confident Chuck isn’t going to knee him in the gut this time, grabs Chuck’s ass -- still as fantastic as ever -- and pulls him up snug. Chuck’s well on his way to being hard, and groans when Raleigh grinds his hips up towards him.

 

Chuck runs his hands into Raleigh’s hair, and it feels amazing, sending shivers down his spine. Raleigh grins. His voice drops all the way down to thick and sultry when he says, “Want me to make love to you, Chuck?”

  
The response of Chuck’s body against his already tells him yes in a hundred different ways. “Yeah,” Chuck answers, and kisses him.


	3. Chapter 3

First things first, Raleigh figures, let’s get those clothes off. He hooks his fingers under the hem of Chuck’s shirt and pulls it up, his nails dragging lightly over the skin of Chuck’s sides. Chuck happily lifts his arms up and lets Raleigh fling off his shirt, and really, Raleigh is rather amazed at how utterly cooperative Chuck is being. Duh, this is what he wants. But it takes a little getting used to, Chuck not threatening to punch him or glaring at him.

 

Instead, Chuck is squirming in his lap groaning and getting his hands all over Raleigh and _wow_.

 

Chuck’s hands grasp at Raleigh’s shirt and tug it up as well, and Raleigh grins, letting Chuck undress him. He’s not sure how this is gonna go, if he’s going to have to lay Chuck back all gentle-like or something, but the way Chuck is reacting? Probably not.

 

And yep, Chuck is pressing forward, pushing Raleigh’s body down on the mattress and grinding down on him, kissing and moaning and holy fuck, this kid—can he still call Chuck a kid, with all that muscle and strength rolling around on top of him?

 

Chuck really has been waiting a long time, hasn’t he. Raleigh chuckles.

 

Chuck sits back. “What’s so funny?” A fleeting expression of uncertainty mars his delightful dimples.

 

Raleigh slides his hands right down the back of Chuck’s pants into his boxers and grabs his ass. God, he loves doing that. He could die happy with his hands squeezing those firm round cheeks.

 

“We are,” Raleigh grins, grinding their hips together, making Chuck groan. “People laugh when they’re happy, dude.”

 

Chuck rolls his eyes. “I know that,” he replies. Then he leans down and kisses Raleigh, still a bit unsure but Chuck is a quick learner and he’s licking and sucking and biting at Raleigh’s mouth, intent on catching up on five years of sitting around waiting for Raleigh to get his shit together.

 

“Mmmm,” Raleigh mumbles against Chuck’s lips. He really, really wants to get those pants off Chuck but the previous two times he tried he got punched in the gut, so he should probably ask this time. Just to be sure.

 

“Can I take your jeans off?” Raleigh ventures, but as he says it Chuck’s already squirming out of them. Geez. And when Chuck’s done yanking down his pants and taking off his boots he climbs back onto the bed and pulls Raleigh up along so they’re no longer hanging off the edge.

 

Raleigh leans back against the pillows, grinning, because he really hadn’t expected Chuck to be all forward and it’s both amusing and insanely hot.

 

Chuck kisses him again, kind of wet and clumsy but that is the opposite of a turn-off. And then his lips begin to explore Raleigh’s neck, and shoulders, and are those teeth? _Those are teeth_ —and Raleigh lets out a really loud groan.

 

“You know, for your first time, you’re a damn natural,” he breathes. And here he had this mental image of having to take it easy and be all gentle and shit. Chuck is practically eating him up.

 

Chuck sits back, grinning. “Surprised, old man?”

 

And Raleigh sees it, sees all the need and want in Chuck’s body, the way his eyes drink up the sight of Raleigh, the way his tongue is flitting over his lips all impatient to get back down there, and his hands not keeping still and groping and touching every bit of Raleigh’s skin within reach.

 

Chuck wants _him_ , so much, and it’s bizarre because Raleigh’s pretty sure about two days ago Chuck was calling him a failure and a bitch or whatever. And it’s amazing because he’s not sure anyone’s wanted him that badly, not in the way Chuck does.

 

Their eyes meet and then Raleigh follows Chuck’s gaze, down his chest, further down, and wow that blush going down Chuck’s shoulders is something.

 

“Can I… do you want me to… can I?” Chuck stammers.

 

Raleigh hooks a thumb under the elastic band of his boxers, which are all wet and gross from sweat and precum anyway, yanks them off and tosses them across the room.

 

Chuck stares at Raleigh’s dick for like a minute, seems impressed, scared and hungry all at the same time. Raleigh folds his arms behind his head, leans back trying to look all casual—even though he is so fucking turned on he might explode—and looks up at Chuck with a big smirk.

 

“You can if you want to,” he says, sending a smoldering look Chuck’s way. Because holy shit, this is playing out way different than he imagined and so much better. Chuck’s about as far away from an innocent shy virgin as you can get, and Raleigh thinks that maybe all of Chuck’s earlier freak-outs were because Raleigh was being an ass about it, not because Chuck is at all embarrassed about anything.

 

He shivers as Chuck trails light, uncertain kisses down his chest and Chuck crawls further down, until he can feel Chuck’s breath on his dick.

 

Raleigh’s a bit worried though, maybe Chuck’s still feeling pressured in some way, like he’s watched too much porn and it’s what he thinks people are supposed to do, or something. “But don’t feel like you have to just because—” he starts, but Chuck interrupts him with a pinch on his thigh.

 

“Mate, I _want_ to,” Chuck grins. “Whaddaya think I’ve been fantasizing about for five years?” And then Chuck sticks his tongue out and tentatively licks the head of Raleigh’s cock.

 

Raleigh groans, loudly, and not just because it feels nice but holy shit, the sight of Chuck down there on his knees, lips parted and tongue sticking out, and his gaze flits up at Raleigh with a wild mix of desire and confusion. Like he really, definitely wants this, but also isn’t really sure how any of this works. Then Chuck grins and wraps his lips around the head of Raleigh’s dick.

 

Raleigh lets out a high-pitched whimper that’s kind of embarrassing but he really doesn’t care at the moment, because the way he’s sitting he can see the tip of his cock slide into Chuck’s mouth and that’s a fucking perfect picture.

 

Chuck isn’t sucking his dick, not really, he’s _exploring_ it, running his tongue and lips all over its length, and Raleigh wonders if Chuck has any idea what a terrible cock-tease he’s being. Literally. Maybe he can tell with Raleigh’s moaning and squirming, though. Then Chuck experimentally takes Raleigh’s cock deeper into his mouth and discovers his gag reflex.

 

Chuck pulls off, wipes his mouth and looks at Raleigh’s dick like he’s _insulted_ by it.

 

Raleigh bursts into laughter. “Something wrong?”

 

Chuck looks up at him, legitimately annoyed. “I choked,” he says. “Feels weird.”

 

Raleigh makes a snorted noise of laughter, sits up. “Come here,” he says, already grabbing Chuck’s wrist and pulling Chuck on top of him. His hand wanders down to grab Chuck’s ass again. Definitely never ever getting tired of that.

 

He kisses Chuck, slowly, running his tongue along Chuck’s lips before slipping it inside, and groans when he tastes himself on Chuck’s tongue. To think that Chuck’s lovely lips were around his dick, the same lips that spouted a constant stream of arrogant bullshit at him when they first talked, and Raleigh remembers his fist hitting that beautiful jaw full force like two days ago. It barely makes sense.

 

Raleigh shifts a little so that their shafts line up and then grinds up against Chuck’s dick. Chuck moans into the kiss and his hands start to wander down Raleigh’s sides.

 

“So, what’s it taste like?” Raleigh says, breaking off the kiss. He was going to phrase that a bit differently, but remembers Chuck really didn’t respond well to dirty talk. Not yet, maybe. His skin prickles, because he suddenly imagines them doing this again, and again, and how many nights they could have together if they both survive. His fingers dig into Chuck’s skin a little deeper.

 

Chuck frowns, seriously considering the question. “Not as gross as I thought,” he concludes. “Like skin, really.”

 

Raleigh chuckles. “I do wash it, y’know,” he replies.

 

“I didn’t like the choking,” Chuck continues, blushing. He’s so adorable it’s almost painful.

 

“Mmmhmm,” Raleigh ponders, tracing circles on Chuck’s skin and rolling his hips in a slow, teasing rhythm that makes them moan in between talking. “What didn’t you like about it?”

 

“I wanted to take in more but I couldn’t,” Chuck answers frankly, and _fuck_ Raleigh’s pretty sure that implication made his dick twitch. Somewhere in the back of his head ignites a fantasy about teaching Chuck to deep-throat and he files it away for far, far future use.

 

“Oh, babe,” Raleigh groans, cups Chuck’s face and kisses him wildly, then flips him over so he’s on top. Because Chuck’s been all over him but he definitely wants to get a taste of Chuck’s everything, too.

 

Raleigh trails soft, wet kisses over Chuck’s jaw and neck and when his breath hits Chuck’s ear Chuck does this wriggly spasm thing with his whole body and makes a sound Raleigh can only describe as mewling. “You like that?” Raleigh grins.

 

“Uhuh, do it again,” Chuck whimpers. Damn, boy has no trouble asking for what he wants, either. Somehow he has this amazingly hot, sexy man in his bed who continues to surprise and excite him, and he’s still not quite sure how they got there. But it’s everything he wants and needs right now.

 

Raleigh dives back in, burying his face in Chuck’s neck, hissing and biting and moaning into Chuck’s ear and it’s doing something crazy to Chuck because he’s working all sorts of groans and moans out of him, Chuck’s grinding and thrusting his hips up like he’s losing it. Raleigh reckons he’s found a weird erogenous zone, and wonders what’ll happen if he uses his tongue. So he leans back, kisses Chuck again and then moves to his other ear, and runs his tongue along the curves. Chuck moans and whimpers and then _pushes_ , and next thing Raleigh is lying on his back again and Chuck’s hands are on his ass and wait, what?

 

Chuck’s hands slide up until they’re under Raleigh’s knees, lifting up his legs and Chuck looks at him all eager and horny and confused.

 

“How does this… how do I… I need to?” Chuck mumbles, his hips making quick jerks forward against Raleigh’s dick, licking his lips. Holy fuck. Because Raleigh really, really figured he’d be the one topping. Chuck seems to have a different plan, though. And Raleigh’s cool with that, because, well, he’s flexible that way.

 

Raleigh plants his elbows on the pillows, sitting up as much as he can with Chuck’s hands still holding his knees, and grins. “You want to… be inside me?”

 

Chuck’s eyes meet his and Chuck blushes hard, biting his lips all sexily and everything. “Y-yeah,” Chuck stammers. “Is… is that okay?”

 

Raleigh laughs, utterly delighted. “Yeah, that’s _so_ okay,” he replies. “Need to prepare first, though.” Raleigh sits up, trying to remember where he left the lube. Oh god, does he even _have_ any? That would really kill the mood.

 

“Prepare?” Chuck asks, and Raleigh laughs again because for all his fantasizing, Chuck didn’t consider the practical side of things, did he?

 

“Clean and stretched,” Raleigh replies. Leans forward and kisses Chuck, slow and nice. “It’s not the most romantic part, I‘m afraid.” He climbs off the bed. “Gimme ten minutes.” Pauses. He could hurry. “Five.”

 

Somewhere between five and ten minutes later, Raleigh comes back, triumphantly carrying a bottle of lube and a pack of condoms which he found in the bathroom cabinet, and climbs back on the bed.

 

Chuck, who was laying on his stomach possibly counting the seconds till Raleigh came back, perks up and crawls towards him. “Hurry up, old man,” he complains, pushing Raleigh down on the sheets and slotting himself between Raleigh’s legs. “Now what?”

 

Raleigh thinks they need a new word to describe Chuck’s mental state because ‘eager’ definitely doesn’t cover it. He cups Chuck’s face and kisses him, wraps his legs around his waist. Chuck groans and grinds into Raleigh, hips bucking forward again. Oh, it’d be nice to get going just like this. But Chuck’s not the smallest boy either, and Raleigh definitely wants more pleasure than pain tonight.

 

He pushes Chuck back a little and hands him the bottle. “You put the lube on your fingers,” Raleigh explains. “Then you start with one finger, then two, three. Until it’s not too tight anymore.”

 

“Okay,” Chuck says, squirts some lube on his digits, lifts up Raleigh’s left leg with his left hand and then places his right index finger against Raleigh’s entrance. He’s got a focused look on his face and his tongue is peeking out of his lips in sheer concentration. Whilst he’s blushing like mad. And Chuck’s erection is definitely a hundred percent back from its break. Jesus, he’s unbelievable.

 

“Like this?” Chuck asks, eyes flitting up to meet Raleigh’s.

 

Raleigh groans. If Chuck doesn’t get started on him right now he might pass out from sheer arousal sucking all the blood to his cock. “Yeah, like that,” he grits out. “Push it inside.” For Chuck not liking dirty talk, somehow they’re getting to a lot of it anyway.

 

And Chuck slides his finger inside and _fuck_ how can one digit feel that good? Raleigh moans and can’t help spreading his legs and pushing down on Chuck’s finger. Somewhere in the back of his mind he’s wondering, when was the last time he did this, anyway? Draws a blank. Doesn’t matter. Because it’s so, so good now. Then he realizes Chuck is waiting for more instructions. “Move it in and out,” Raleigh breathes, and Chuck does and Raleigh whimpers.

 

Chuck’s grinning at him, the bastard, clearly pleased that he’s doing well and Raleigh is reacting the way he does. Raleigh would laugh except just having one of Chuck’s fingers inside him is already driving him slightly mad and all he can do is moan and whine. “More,” he pants, because he’s now a lot less concerned with being comfortably stretched, wants more and bigger inside him like he can’t remember ever wanting it before. Jesus Rals, what is this kid doing to you? Weren’t you supposed to be the older, wiser— “Oh, fuck, oh god,” he grunts when Chuck adds a second digit and begins to pump it in and out of him.

 

“Is this good?” Chuck says, like he can’t see how he’s driving Raleigh crazy, christ. Raleigh’s fingers clench into the sheets and he’s bucking his hips towards Chuck’s hand.

 

“Yeah, it’s good, so good,” Raleigh breathes. Remembers something. “There’s a spot in there, like, if you curl your fingers up…”

 

Chuck gets this focused look again, because if there’s some special spot in there he is going to damn well find it like his life depended on it or something. Raleigh gets a mental image of having to give Chuck a report card after this and Chuck’s aiming for A+ in all areas. And as far as Raleigh’s concerned that’s definitely where Chuck’s heading, with bonus credit and a freaking gold star.

 

“Fuck, yes, _there_ ,” Raleigh groans, thrusting his hips up off the bed when Chuck’s probing fingers hit his prostate. _Jesus_.

 

Immensely pleased with himself at having met Raleigh’s little challenge Chuck’s face lights up with a wide, superbly dimpled grin, and he wriggles his fingers against the spot again.

 

“God, oh god, you’re gonna— _hngh_ ,” is all Raleigh can manage. He really, really needs Chuck inside him now and he grabs at Chuck’s shoulders and back. “No fingers,” he manages.

 

“No fingers?” Chuck replies, pulling his digits out—Raleigh whimpers—and looking worried again.

 

Raleigh grins, his hand reaching in between them and finding Chuck’s cock, thick and hard. And Chuck groans and jerks into Raleigh’s grip as soon as he feels it. “Condom,” Raleigh pants. Where did he even leave those after Chuck pushed him down?

 

But luckily Chuck’s still paying attention since he reaches for them on the floor. Then gives Raleigh that familiar so-horny-so-confused look. Oh, right. Chuck wouldn’t know how to put one on, would he. Raleigh tries to shake the haze of want and arousal from his mind long enough tear open a packet and get the tip between thumb and finger. Chuck readily moves towards Raleigh’s hands and groans when Raleigh rolls the rubber down over his length, obviously fascinated by the whole maneuver and Raleigh figures Chuck’s making some sort of mental notes again. No wonder the man’s a top student, he approaches everything with focused studiousness, even sex.

 

Chuck pushes him down again, just about ready to thrust inside Raleigh. “Lube,” Raleigh groans, and Chuck reaches for the bottle and then gives it to Raleigh because he’s probably so crazily aroused now he can’t even figure out where the lube is supposed to go. Raleigh squeezes a fair amount on Chuck’s dick, spreads it over the length with a few, tight strokes—wringing a few nice groans out of Chuck—and then leans back with a smile.

 

“Ready,” he says, grinning from ear to ear, running a hand into Chuck’s hair, splaying his legs open wide.

 

Chuck curls over him, locks eyes with Raleigh. This whole ‘we’re really gonna do it’ look. Yeah, this is the real thing, isn’t it? Raleigh smiles, hot affection flourishing in his chest, and he cups Chuck’s face. “I want you,” Raleigh whispers hoarsely. Shifts his hips, feels Chuck’s dick slide against his cheeks, so close. “Need you,” he groans.

 

Chuck kisses him, deep and hungry. “Rahhhleigh,” he breathes, and the way Chuck pronounces his name like that sends delicious shivers down Raleigh’s spine. Chuck’s eyes are filled with desire and love and it's like he can't really figure out how to say any of it.

 

“I’m here,” Raleigh says, reaches his hand down between them, wraps it around Chuck’s cock and guides the tip to press against his tight opening. “Come to me.”

 

Chuck pushes inside slowly, and _fuck_ it hurts, maybe he really should’ve insisted on more stretching but the burn is so good like this. A thick wave of pleasure surges through Raleigh’s body from where Chuck is sliding inside him, forcing him open, all the way up his spine and down to his toes, working its way up to his throat and coming out with a loud, long groan.

 

Chuck’s bracing himself, eyes squeezed shut. “It’s so tight,” he hisses, barely moving.

 

Raleigh works his hips, his hands trailing down to grab Chuck’s ass again and pulling Chuck down. Chuck sinks deeper inside him and it’s so good, so hot. “You can move more,” Raleigh groans, because if Chuck isn’t gonna move right now—

 

And Chuck does, pulls out a little with a choked sound and then shoves forward, further inside, letting out a high-pitched cry. He wraps his arms around Raleigh and then drives himself all the way in, until he’s fully seated, then he holds and shudders. “Raleigh, Raleigh,” he breathes, over and over, burying his head in Raleigh’s neck.

 

It’s like Chuck’s overwhelmed emotions feed right back into him the way they’re connected now, so tight and close, he can feel the throb of Chuck’s dick inside, the fierce heat, Chuck’s want and need in the way Chuck’s arms are clinging to him. Raleigh’s hand runs into Chuck’s hair, kisses his neck, his jaw, his cheek. “It’s so good, Chuck,” Raleigh whispers, stroking the sweaty locks of Chuck’s hair away from his forehead. “You’re doing so well.”

 

And Chuck whimpers, eyes still squeezed tight, and begins to rock his hips back and forth slowly. Fuck, it’s so amazing, and even though he’s aching for Chuck to slam into him real hard Raleigh knows that’s not what Chuck craves right now, what he needs.

 

Then, Chuck speeds up, his hands digging into Raleigh’s sides. His hips jerk forward fast, Chuck lets out a sound somewhere between a sob and a whine and Raleigh feels Chuck’s dick pulse inside him. Oh, babe. That was faster than Raleigh expected but then, he lasted maybe three seconds his own first time, so.

 

Chuck collapses on top of him, whimpering, and Raleigh embraces Chuck again, shuddering himself when he feels Chuck slip out. He kinda wishes they hadn’t used a condom, even though it’s the smart and safe thing to do, somewhere he finds himself thinking it’d be nice to feel Chuck’s come trickle out of him now and geez, Raleigh, you’re such a pervert sometimes. Gotta take it easy with the kid.

 

Chuck’s breathing heavily and Raleigh just strokes his hair and rubs his shoulders waiting for Chuck to come back down, and eventually he hears Chuck mumble, “‘m sorry,” against his chest. Oh, no you don’t.

 

Raleigh pushes Chuck off his chest a little, cups his face. “You got nothing to be sorry for, babe,” Raleigh breathes, kisses him, as long and slow and passionate as he can manage, trying to put all his feelings into it, like, you are amazing and so gorgeous and don’t ever be sorry about any of this ever.

 

Chuck sits back, frowning, looking disappointed. “But I came so fast—”

 

No way this is going to be some sort of sad moment, because Raleigh’s had that and it is now his life mission to make sure Chuck isn’t gonna feel that way about himself. Raleigh flips Chuck over so he’s on top, slithers down Chuck’s chest and pulls the condom off. “So?” he grins, and proceeds to lick every leftover drop of come from Chuck’s softened dick, blithely ignoring the icky residual taste of latex. Because it’s _Chuck’s_ and it’s delicious and Raleigh wants to make real sure Chuck knows that.

 

Seeing Raleigh go down on him like that, Chuck looks at him all captivated, jaw dropped and everything. His face scrunches up a little and then he gets some sort of determined expression on his face. Chuck sits up, grabs Raleigh’s ass and flips them over again. Raleigh laughs because it seems like he just can’t get himself to stay on top of Chuck for very long. Files that away for future use, too.

 

Chuck curls over him, a glint of renewed confidence in his eyes and Raleigh wonders what Chuck’s got planned but he doesn’t have to wonder long when he feels Chuck’s fingers pressing into him and—“Chuck, _oh god_ ,” he growls because that’s at least three digits. They slide inside easily and Chuck, the smart little shit he is has remembered exactly where his fingers should go to drive Raleigh crazy.

 

So now Chuck is actually finger-fucking him instead and that’s _just fine_ because those digits are twisting and writhing inside him the way a dick definitely can’t. With what little sanity Raleigh has left somehow he figures this must be Chuck’s training kicking in, because you use what you got in a Jaeger, your fists, your weapons, but if you have a boat or a crane handy to take that fucker down, why the hell not?

 

Chuck slides down his chest and Raleigh manages to lift his head up just enough to see Chuck’s lips part over his dick. Then the slippery heat of Chuck’s mouth engulfs him and Raleigh is reduced to unintelligible moans and cries, hips bucking up hard and it feels so fucking good, so good, almost there, jesus christ Chuck, jesus, oh _god_ , _fuck_ —

 

 

 

Raleigh wakes up, and there’s something different. Well, besides a naked Chuck curled halfway over him, snoring away. Wait. Yeah, that’s it. He _actually_ slept, no nightmares or anything. Raleigh can’t remember the last time he had a decent night’s sleep. Not since Yancy.

 

His hand runs through Chuck’s hair and the handsome ginger bastard opens his eyes, stares up at Raleigh with a huge, self-satisfactory grin. Freaking dimples, too.

 

“Feel good?” Raleigh asks.

 

Instead of answering with words like a normal person Chuck sits up and kisses Raleigh, morning breath and everything. It’s sexy as hell anyway, sigh. There’s a tight craving in the pit of Raleigh’s stomach and just like that he wants to go again, top or bottom, he doesn’t even care. Hooks his leg behind Chuck’s thigh and pulls him in.

 

And Chuck responds, grinning, trails kisses down Raleigh’s neck and shoulder and—

 

Red lights and blaring sirens fill his quarters, the screen flies on, displaying a scan of the Breach and two Kaiju signals, Category IV. _Shit_.

 

Chuck flies up out of his bed and Raleigh isn’t far behind, they’re stumbling and flailing around to find their clothes and now the war is back, not that it ever really left, but as soon as they’re fully dressed and Chuck throws on that jacket and looks back at him reality hits Raleigh like a fucking brick in the face.

 

_This is it, this could be the last time, this could be all we’ve got and will ever have_ and Raleigh's entire being just screams _NO_.

 

Chuck’s face is saying the exact same thing.

 

Raleigh’s arms fly around Chuck’s waist fast and rough and he embraces Chuck like he wants to crush him, absorb him, somehow mark him or do something to make sure he makes it back.

 

“Not now, not after I found you,” Raleigh mumbles against Chuck’s shoulder, not like that makes any fucking sense but it’s how he feels, whatever.

 

Chuck buries his head in Raleigh’s sweater, breathes in the scent, clings. “Gonna come back,” Chuck grunts.

 

Raleigh shakes his head, the uncertainty is too much, and goddammit this is why he was alone this whole time, just so he wouldn’t have to feel like this again, and it’s like Chuck is being ripped away from him even though he’s _right there_.

 

And stupidly enough it’s Chuck, not Raleigh, who’s the stable, sensible soldier here. So Chuck breaks off the embrace, grabs Raleigh by the shoulders, looks him straight in the eye. “Gonna beat those Kaiju cunts and fuckin’ outlive ‘em, yeah? Y’hear me?”

 

It’s Chuck-speak for some chick-flick line like ‘come back to me, my love’, really. And it does the trick.

 

Raleigh lets his hands wander lower down Chuck’s back. “Better get your ass back to shore, Ranger Hansen,” he grins. Leaves the rest unsaid, but oh, he’s pretty sure Chuck knows what he means.

 

Chuck laughs, rests his forehead against Raleigh’s. “You too, Becket.”

 

The siren blaring gets louder.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The world is saved, but Chuck's not back to his old self, yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This new chapter has been made possible by:
> 
> \- Energy drinks CAFFEINE WHEEEE  
> \- gay porn  
> \- um... pringles  
> \- forgetting to make dinner  
> \- liberal use of lube and _italics_  
>  \- .... ???
> 
> Happy New Year <3

Mako’s arms squeeze tightly around him, and even though Raleigh’s pretty sure he’s at least halfway deaf and the nuclear blast from Gipsy sending him flying up through the Breach didn’t do wonders for his eyesight either, he’s breathing, he’s alive. And so is Mako.

 

In their embrace the ghost of the Drift still hangs between them and he feels the dark, grey sadness from her loss seep through almost like they’re still connected through the Pons. So he’s not surprised when Mako’s hands run through his hair and she kisses his forehead. Because she feels his loss, too.

 

“I’m sorry,” she says. She doesn’t have to specify what for.

 

There’s probably a cloud of atoms at the bottom of the ocean, all that’s left of what once was Chuck. And it fucking hurts. There’s just this black hole in his chest, like something stomped almost right through it, and even though his lungs are working fine he’s finding it hard to breathe.

 

The radio in their suits beeps up.

 

“Marshall Hansen to Gipsy Danger crew.”

 

If Raleigh is already torn up about it, Herc has to be absolutely shattered. Raleigh doesn’t even know what to say.

 

“Gipsy Danger crew reporting, sir?”

 

Somewhere, it strikes him as weird to report in as Gipsy Danger, when the only thing that’s left of her are the two escape pods floating on the ocean surface, and the memory of her steel form in the hands and feet of her pilots.

 

“Wanted to alert you that there will be a delay in picking you two up. LOCCENT’s received an emergency pod signal about 120 clicks from your location and we’re sending our crews there first.”

 

The tone in Herc’s voice is unmistakably joyful. Raleigh and Mako share a look, because they don’t really need to share words. Couldn’t be Pentecost—he knew that his next time jockeying a Jaeger would be his last because of his radiation sickness. So it’s gotta be...

 

“Sir… life signs in the pod?” Raleigh hazards, his voice shaky, not daring to believe.

 

“Stable,” Herc replies. Then he adds in a choked voice, “It’s Chuck. He’s alive.”

 

Mako’s arms wrap around Raleigh again and he’s laughing and crying into her shoulder, and she’s laughing and crying with him.

 

 

 

When the crew comes to pick them up, Raleigh climbs into the Jumphawk and the only thing he sees is Chuck’s face with an impossibly huge grin.

 

“Told ya I was gonna come back, mate,” he says. Obviously.

 

Raleigh pretty much _dives_ for Chuck and kisses him so hard their teeth clack together.

 

“Oi. The hell you doing with my son, Becket?”

 

Raleigh’s head spins around so fast he nearly pulls a muscle. He did _not_ notice Herc sitting across from them in the passenger bay.

 

But Herc’s grinning, perhaps a bit of an uncomfortable grin because this takes some getting used to. However, Raleigh figures, there’s not much that could wipe the grin off Herc’s face today. He can’t really stop laughing himself, either. And Chuck… well, he’s seen him smile a few times before, but now it’s like the sun went up in his face and his dimples bend all the way to his freaking ears. It’s the most gorgeous he’s ever seen Chuck and _holy fuck_ does Raleigh want to rip off that conn-pod suit and lick the sweat off every inch of Chuck’s skin.

 

So after they get back to the Shatterdome and through the radiation showers and manage to sneak away from the celebrations—with considerable help from Mako, because she is amazing—that’s _exactly_ what he does.

  
  
  


The second the door of Chuck’s quarters close behind them Raleigh pushes him up against the door and kisses Chuck, pushing his lips apart with his tongue and thrusting it inside whilst his hands wander over Chuck’s chest, fingers digging into his skin.

 

It takes about half a minute of that before Raleigh realizes Chuck isn’t responding like he’d expected. Chuck’s frozen up, just _letting_ Raleigh touch him, not doing much else. They were on the same page, right? Weren’t they? Sure, Chuck had been a bit stand-offish with public displays of affection earlier, but Raleigh figured that was just because he wasn’t ready to announce their relationship to the whole ‘Dome.

 

“Chuck, what’s wrong?” he asks, pulling back a little.

 

Chuck bites his lip, and looks away, and Raleigh can see him shutting down. Before, Chuck would punch him away or laugh or curse or something, so this is new and worrying.

 

“Hey, hey, talk to me, come on,” Raleigh says, grabbing Chuck’s wrists and tugging him away from the door, further into the room.

 

These are Chuck’s quarters, and come to think of it it’s the first time Raleigh is in here, and he takes a look around. Everything is… neat. And oddly impersonal. There’s a stack of training books and vids, Jaeger schematics, news magazines. There’s not much there that says Chuck. Even with Raleigh’s brief stay in the Shatterdome, his quarters are more his own, with photos scattered on the wall. The only photo Chuck has here is one of Max.

 

But Raleigh looks again, more carefully, and notices the traces of previous messiness, bits of paper on the floor, shapes of dust on empty shelves. Maybe Chuck’s quarters _were_ messier. Maybe he… packed? But for what? They were either going down fighting or coming back here.

 

Chuck sits down on the single chair at his desk and stares at the floor. Raleigh walks up to him and runs a hand through Chuck’s hair, letting it sit on his neck. And after a while, Chuck leans forward, resting his head against Raleigh’s chest.

 

“Y’know, I never really believed in heaven,” Chuck says. “But I’m glad you’re in mine.”

 

The hell is he talking about? Raleigh wraps his arms around Chuck.

 

“This isn’t heaven, this is real,” he says. “We won, Chuck. We closed the Breach. We saved everyone.”

 

Chuck looks up. “Yeah, I know. I was there. I died.”

 

Chuck’s eyes are dark and solemn and Raleigh doesn’t know what the hell happened in Chuck’s head between their flight on the Jumphawk and now, but this isn’t right. He sits down on one knee and cups Chuck’s face.

 

“You’re _alive_ , Chuck,” Raleigh says, loud and intently. He’s gazing right into Chuck’s eyes like he’s trying to beam his thoughts and feelings into his brain.

 

“I can’t be,” Chuck replies. “I felt it. I was ready, y’know? My father always said, if you have a shot, you take it.” His eyes get a dim, glassy look to them. “You can always find me in the Drift,” he mumbles. Then, something in Japanese Raleigh can barely make out.

 

Ah… it can’t be, can it? Raleigh remembers the searing pain of Yancy being torn out of their Drift, and his brother dying when Raleigh was still connected to him, well, he’s pretty sure that’s the most sickening, horrifying feeling he’s ever had and hopes nobody else ever has to experience.

 

And he remembers the intensity of ghost-drifting, between him and Yance and then between him and Mako. How he sometimes wakes up feeling _really_ weird like the room he’s in is several hundred meters too small for his body.

 

And just how much time passed between Striker Eureka saying they’d clear a path, and detonating? Raleigh’s gotta look it up, he doesn’t know the Mark 5 Jaeger’s specs off the top of his head, but what if in some way Chuck was still connected to Stacker right before his escape pod was ejected? All of Pentecost’s last thoughts and feelings would’ve been pouring through in those seconds, who knows.

 

He rests his forehead against Chuck’s. “Chuck, you’re not dead,” Raleigh repeats. “I think you’re ghosting with Pentecost.”

 

Chuck’s eyes lit up a little, less glassy now. “Pentecost… yeah,” he mumbles.

 

Raleigh sighs. It’s probably for the best to put off naked celebrations until Chuck’s back to his old self. Because he definitely prefers Chuck trying to knee him in the stomach and having a cocky smirk on his face to this. And now… Chuck’s all shaken up, and he’s not really sure how to help. He’s an expert at how Drifting can fuck you up, not at how to fix it.

 

“Come on,” Raleigh says, grabbing Chuck by the shoulders and lifting him off his feet. “I think you need to go for a check-up in sickbay.”

  
  
  


Over the next few days, Chuck gets a bunch of brain tests and talks to an old Jaeger program psychologist, but none of it really helps. The scans no longer show any residual neural patterns from the Drift and match up with his brain scans before the mission. Raleigh’s there with him the whole time, and Herc sort of keeps his distance, guilt looming over him because he should’ve been the one piloting Striker together with Chuck and they would’ve made it both back and Chuck wouldn’t be stuck with the ghost of a dead man in his head. Mako avoids them too, because the memory of Pentecost is too painful for her.

 

In the end, it turns out it’s Max who makes everything better. Like the slobbering bag of wrinkles can pick up on his boss’ mental state and hell, he probably can. Max was already always following Chuck around but now the dog has made it a personal mission to be as close to Chuck as possible as often as possible, resulting in Chuck being permanently covered in white dog hair, dog drool and dog smell. It’s not his most attractive phase, but Raleigh figures it’s worth it, because Chuck’s face gets its old cocky-ass expression back whenever Max has crawled on top of him again, dozing off and drooling all over his pants.

 

About three weeks after they’ve come back from Operation Pitfall, Chuck drags Raleigh into the Kwoon.

 

“Punch me,” Chuck says, stepping back and raising his fists.

 

“Uh, what?” Raleigh replies, frowning. “I’m not gonna punch you.”

 

“What’s the matter, Rayleigh, you forgot how to fight?” Chuck grins.

 

“I haven’t—” Raleigh pauses, sizing up Chuck. Grins. “All right, bring it on,” he says, and smoothly slides into a combat stance, one hand open towards Chuck, the other tensed at his side.

 

Chuck’s swing is too slow and Raleigh easily dodges it, spins around on his heels, grabs Chuck’s arm and pins him on the floor.

 

“I said punch me, not dodge me, _Ray_ ,” Chuck taunts him.

 

Raleigh laughs, because this is more Chuck than Chuck’s been in weeks, and it’s nice. He gets back up on his feet and into his usual stance. Takes a swing at Chuck that he expects the kid to dodge. He doesn’t, and Raleigh’s fist connects with Chuck’s jaw with a sick thud. Chuck flies sideways and spits out blood. Wipes it from his mouth, looks at it, tastes it, and grins.

 

“Fuck!” Raleigh says, waving his hand in pain because the impact wasn’t exactly light on his knuckles. “Why the hell didn’t _you_ dodge that?”

 

Chuck straightens up and glares at Raleigh, doesn’t answer, but instead barrels towards him and grabs him by the waist. Raleigh responds, dropping his left leg and lifting his right leg up, rolling back on the floor and bracing himself to throw Chuck off him. And doesn’t.

 

Instead, Raleigh lets himself go limp on the floor and now Chuck is just lying on top of him with arms around his waist. This is the most physical contact they’ve had in weeks and as much as Raleigh wants to meet Chuck’s challenge he wants Chuck more, and Chuck’s closeness is definitely doing something to him.

 

Chuck sits up, giving Raleigh a fierce glare. “Come on, Ray, fight me,” he growls.

 

“Why you wanna fight so bad?” Raleigh asks, and his hand closes around Chuck’s wrist, tugging him forward. He’s surprised when Chuck lets him, and then Chuck is sitting on top of him, Chuck’s ass on his crotch. _Shit_. That’s way too much stimulation and Raleigh feels a hot pulse travel from his chest right to his dick.

 

Chuck just stares at him, then bends forward, places his hands next to Raleigh’s head.

 

“This is real, isn’t it?” Chuck says with a choked sound.

 

Raleigh nods. “Yeah, it is.” He has to try real hard not to grab Chuck’s ass right now, let the kid sort himself out, take things at his own pace.

 

Chuck bends forward further, until his nose is pressed to Raleigh’s, doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t have to though, Raleigh feels Chuck’s wakening erection press against his lower abs, and can’t help himself from rolling his hips up a little—and Chuck lets out a small groan in response. Oh fuck, he’s missed this, _wants_ Chuck so badly so much right there, desire flooding his body like liquid heat in his skin.

 

Raleigh leans up a little, arching his neck to the side. “You _like_ me,” he whispers in Chuck’s ear.

 

Chuck shudders on top of him and Raleigh feels the ripple where their bodies are pressed flush and hard together.

 

Chuck grins. A big, happy, dimpled grin. “Fuck you, Becket,” he laughs.

 

Raleigh bucks his hips up, and Chuck moans, loudly this time. “Maybe later.”

 

Chuck’s lips brush against Raleigh’s. “How about right now,” Chuck retorts, in a low, hoarse whisper.

 

Raleigh reaches up behind Chuck’s head and presses their mouths together, and Chuck angles his head and parts his lips and kisses Raleigh back so deep and messily and hungry that for a second Raleigh’s mind just shorts out. Chuck’s tongue is lapping against his, Chuck’s lips are possibly _eating_ away at Raleigh’s mouth, pressing and nipping and soft and wet and now Raleigh’s pretty much losing it. His hands fly downward and grab Chuck’s ass hard and he bucks his hips up again, grins when he feels Chuck moan into their kiss.

 

With an impulse that works its way up from his toes to his arms Raleigh pushes and rolls to his side and then on top of Chuck, shifting so that his dick is pressed against Chuck’s and groans.

 

“Fuck, you’re so hot, you’re so amazing,” Raleigh hisses, unable to keep his affections inside anymore.

 

Chuck’s legs wrap around his waist and pull him in and _then_ Chuck cups his face with one hand, snaking his other hand to press on Raleigh’s lower back and whispers, “I want you, Rahhhhleigh. Inside.” Whimpers a little, possibly embarrassed. “Make me feel alive.”

 

There’s no way Raleigh could ever resist that kind of plea and he just _rocks_ into Chuck, hard, wants to get inside him right there in the Kwoon.

 

“ _Ahem_ ,” Mako coughs behind them.

 

Raleigh nearly knocks his head into Chuck’s and they scramble to their feet so fast they almost fall over again.

 

Which really doesn’t help their case, because now they’re standing up with dicks standing at attention and Mako is giving them a _totally judging you_ look. Chuck spins away from her so fast he nearly trips and Raleigh just bursts into laughter.

 

“Maybe you should get a room, hm?” Mako grins. “You are lucky I am here for training and not your father, Chuck.” She gives a slight nod to Raleigh, one he knows means something like _I’m okay with this_ , because he knows all her little tells and nods.

 

He smiles, grabs Chuck’s wrist. “Thanks, Mako,” he grins, pulling Chuck towards the door. Who is still bright red and mumbling and thoroughly embarrassed at his childhood friend having seen him sporting an erection. Which, really, Raleigh is going to enjoy pointing out to Chuck that Mako’s seen everything in the Drift, because Chuck is going to be so embarrassed his damn _toes_ are gonna blush.

  
  
  
  


Showing Chuck how to clean himself out is both embarrassing and hot and Raleigh has to stand by the bathroom door and answer all of Chuck’s pointed questions about the process. Finally, Chuck emerges looking all flustered and _swear to freaking god_ bats his eyelashes at Raleigh.

 

“'m ready,” Chuck mumbles.

 

They’re back in Raleigh’s quarters because somehow Chuck is more comfortable there, maybe because it all smells of Raleigh. And Raleigh’s thankful Herc is taking care of Max right now so he has Chuck all to himself.

 

Raleigh’s gotta remember that in a way this is Chuck’s _other_ virginity, if there is such a thing, but maybe labels like that don’t matter anymore. All he knows is he wants to take all the time in the world they now have to drive Chuck absolutely mad, only he’s not sure he has the patience.

 

They undress and climb onto the bed naked and Raleigh rests his hands on Chuck’s shoulders, pushing him gently into the pillows. Remembers the question he asked a few weeks ago, and grins. “Want me to make love to you again, Chuck?”

 

In response Chuck blushes hard and nods. “Yeah,” he whispers with a soft smile, recognizing the line from before. There’s something different about Chuck, he’s not as cocky this time, but that’s just fine by Raleigh. He could get used to this. Wants to make Chuck blush and squirm and beg, really.

 

He starts by kissing Chuck real slow, teasingly, his tongue sliding back and forth over Chuck’s lips and tongue, exploring his mouth, even his inner cheeks and teeth, Raleigh just wanting to taste everything and make everything of Chuck taste like him, something like that. Remembers Chuck’s special spot and trails kisses over his jaw and then nips and licks at Chuck’s ear ‘till Chuck is wriggling underneath him.

 

“C’mon, hurry up,” Chuck breathes, and Raleigh laughs.

 

“I’m not in a hurry,” he grins, before running his tongue down Chuck’s neck. Then looks up, and Chuck is giving him a wonderfully frustrated glare. And Raleigh’s just getting started. Teasing Chuck is incredibly fun.

 

Raleigh presses firm kisses into Chuck’s neck and shoulder, and then licks circles over Chuck’s well-defined pecs until his tongue runs over a nipple and he purses his lips around it.

 

“What are you—” Chuck gasps. “I-I’m not a chick, mate.”

 

Well, obviously. Raleigh runs his fingers lightly over Chuck’s erection. “Feels good for guys too, y’know,” Raleigh offers. And instead of explaining further he sucks hard, then grazes his teeth over Chuck’s nipple. He can tell by the sudden tenseness in Chuck’s body he’s trying to hold back, like he’s embarrassed by it, so Raleigh takes the nipple between his teeth and presses down a little and Chuck lets out a high-pitched whimper.

 

Raleigh pulls back and grins. “See?” Then moves his attention to Chuck’s other nipple and gives that small nub the same treatment. Seems Chuck has even more special spots, and isn’t that a nice discovery.

 

Raleigh runs his hands down Chuck’s abdomen, and crawls down, his tongue drawing a wet trail over Chuck’s abs. Chuck gasps and tenses up in what Raleigh figures is anticipation and he smiles. Raleigh licks his lips when Chuck’s dick is in front of him, and isn’t it damn gorgeous, too. Thick and swollen, the tip reddened and glistening with precum. Raleigh sticks out his tongue to press it against a large vein that runs over the side, feels the throb inside it, and enjoys the frustrated whimper Chuck gives in response.

 

For a short second Raleigh debates whether to tease more or just surprise the hell out of Chuck, and then opts for the latter. He opens his mouth wide and takes Chuck’s length down his throat, as far as he can get it, which is pretty far because Raleigh’s had some practice. He swallows past his gag reflex and takes Chuck deeper until his tongue is able to press against Chuck’s balls.

 

Chuck almost _screams_ with pleasure. “Raleigh, Raleigh, oh fuck, what did you, how, I want to, fuck,” he mumbles incoherently, hips jerking up and hands flying into Raleigh’s hair.

 

Raleigh lets off again in one smooth slide, letting his tongue run up over the length and Chuck quivers. “You like?” Raleigh grins.

 

“How did you do that,” Chuck breathes, and then, “You gotta teach me how.”

 

Raleigh laughs, loud and uninhibited because yeah, he is definitely going to teach Chuck how. “Later,” he says, before swallowing Chuck’s cock again, making it slick with spit. And as he sees his saliva dribble down over Chuck’s balls, he gets a different idea. One that he hopes will make Chuck scream and possibly cry.

 

Raleigh lets off again and sits back. “Turn over, on your hands and knees,” he practically _orders_ Chuck, and then doesn’t miss the hot red flush on Chuck’s cheeks at his authoritative tone. Ooh. More things to remember. At this rate Raleigh’s gotta remember way too much, he’s not as studious as Chuck. More of a learner through practice, really.

 

“Okay,” Chuck pants, and rolls over, sitting up on his his hands and knees. “Whaddaya gonna do,” he asks, looking back at Raleigh over his shoulder.

 

“Something that’ll feel amazing,” Raleigh grins, grabbing Chuck’s ass with both his hands. Realizes that he’s been hungry for this from the second his hands wrapped around those two firm round cheeks. Pulls them apart. Chuck is shivering and whimpering under his touch.

 

“Raleigh…” Chuck pants, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. Raleigh remembers Chuck kept flipping him back over, felt more certain being on top.

 

So Raleigh runs small circles over Chuck’s thigh with his hands. “Relax, babe,” he says. “‘s okay. I love seeing you like this. You look amazing.”

 

“Yeah,” Chuck mumbles, and then buries his head in the pillow. Raleigh sees Chuck’s blush spread to below his shoulder blades and _fuck_ if that isn’t ridiculously hot.

 

Then Raleigh presses his thumbs down at Chuck’s asshole, leans forward and laps his tongue against it.

 

Chuck _sobs_.

 

Raleigh licks again. Fuck, he can’t believe how good it tastes, which kind of makes him convinced he’s a total pervert or something, but it’s _Chuck’s_ taste and the kid is all cleaned out so it’s not _that_ gross.

 

“How’s that feel, baby?” Raleigh breathes, exerting considerable willpower to pause, because he really really wants to know what Chuck’s gonna say about Raleigh eating him out.

 

Chuck just sobs again. And Raleigh has to exert even _more_ willpower because he’s not going to continue if he’s not sure Chuck’s okay with it. Then Chuck arches his back and moans. “Please,” Chuck breathes.

 

“What’s that?” Raleigh says, grinning, teasingly blowing a little air over Chuck’s sensitive opening.

 

“Please, more,” Chuck whispers, so low Raleigh just barely hears it.

 

Raleigh leans forward and gives Chuck a long, wet lick. Chuck’s elbows give out and his upper body collapses into the mattress, a movement that only lifts his ass up higher.

 

“It’s that good, huh,” Raleigh says, heat tingling in his skin because wow he loves turning Chuck into this, reducing him to this whimpering mess, loves that his fingers and tongue are able to do that to Chuck.

 

“Uhuh,” Chuck whimpers in a muffled voice.

 

“Mmmm,” Raleigh mumbles, and presses his tongue against Chuck’s asshole again. With Chuck’s encouragement, he gives in to his own hunger, and he doesn’t care how dirty that makes him, he absolutely loves this. Wanted to get his tongue in Chuck’s ass the moment he had his hands on it. Geez, Raleigh, how far gone are you for this kid?

 

He licks and laps his tongue over the creased ring, pushing against it, teasing at its tightness, and Chuck is sobbing and whimpering, hands clenching and twitching in the sheets. Raleigh’s thumbs tug at the sides, opening the orifice a little more and then he presses his tongue inside. Chuck lets out a loud, strangled cry that racks his whole upper body. Raleigh almost wonders if Chuck can handle this, but now that he’s gotten this far he doesn’t want to stop, wants to see how mad he can drive Chuck, what sounds he can work out of him.

 

Raleigh pulls back, licks, and then shoves inside again, relishing the feel of having that wrinkled tightness press around the tip of his tongue. Works out another sob from Chuck, who’s now constantly shivering under him. Then he feels a real strong shudder go through Chuck’s body and next thing he knows Chuck’s spun around and is lying on his back again, yanking him up, and apparently not even giving a shit what’s gross or not because he kisses Raleigh hard.

 

Raleigh notices the salty taste in Chuck’s mouth and breaks off the kiss. “Babe, did I make you cry for real? You okay?” he says, his own voice shaky with arousal.

 

Chuck nods and shakes his head like he’s forgotten which motions signals what. “So good,” he mumbles. “Raleigh, please, you gotta… I need you to…” Chuck’s bucking his hips up against him, and Raleigh doesn’t have to really guess at just what Chuck needs from him.

 

“Make love to you?” Raleigh grins, his hands grabbing at Chuck’s waist.

 

Chuck’s hands cup his face. “No, fuck me,” he breathes. And the look in Chuck’s eyes changes, hell, something about his entire body shifts, like he’s _let go_ of something. Embarrassment or some kind of guard, Raleigh’s not sure, though he knows it’s been there the whole time, has felt it. Chuck’s opening up to him, surrendering, something like that, and it’s fucking hot.

 

Raleigh locks eyes with Chuck, grinds down into him, and they’re so both so hard the contact is almost _electric_.

 

“Fuck me,” Chuck repeats in a more demanding tone, the words coming easier to him now that he’s actually said them out loud.

 

Raleigh knows he’s left the lube and condoms at the bedside so he reaches for both of them, but Chuck swats the condoms away. Raleigh’s brow goes up an inch in surprise. “You wanna go bare?” he gasps, because _dammit Chuck_ now he’s not even sure he can manage the patience to stretch him out enough.

 

“Got tested didn’t we? Full health check?” Chuck breathes. And he’s right, after they got back from the mission they got such an extensive body exam Raleigh’s pretty sure the doctors have seen more of his body than himself or any lover of his ever did. So they’re both clean.

 

“Yeah,” Raleigh pants, and wastes no further time on words, dropping the condoms on the floor and coating his fingers with lube. “Gonna prep you.” He grabs a pillow from the head of the bed and Chuck’s at least still sane enough to follow Raleigh’s line of thinking, as he lifts up his hips and lets Raleigh shove the pillow under his ass. There, that’s a better angle to work with.

 

“Hurry,” Chuck says, his tone all desire and frustration, opening his legs for Raleigh. And that sight alone is such a fucking turn on Raleigh’s gotta shake his head to focus on what the hell he’s doing.

 

Raleigh presses a finger to Chuck’s opening and pushes it in, gritting his teeth when he feels how tight Chuck is. He really doesn’t want to hurt his lover no matter how horny he is and Raleigh knows he’s certainly bigger than average.

 

Chuck whimpers and pushes down on Raleigh’s finger like he’s done this a hundred times before and then Raleigh remembers that really, this _is_ Chuck’s first time as a bottom and he has to be careful, has to be the wiser one of the two of them. He takes a long, deep breath, trying to push away his own need and urgency and concentrate on making Chuck feel good.

 

“C’mon, old man, hurry,” Chuck complains, nudging impatiently against Raleigh’s hip with his foot.

 

“Babe, it’ll hurt like hell if I don’t stretch you,” Raleigh says, still working his one finger, slowly thrusting it in and out, pushing to the sides of the tight muscle.

 

Chuck mumbles something incoherent and frustrated and lays back, hands resting on his abdomen. “ _Fine_ ,” he eventually says, giving in to Raleigh’s superior wisdom or something.

 

Raleigh grins, squeezes a few more drops of lube on his fingers and pushes in a second digit.

 

“Ow, fuck!” Chuck growls and Raleigh places a hand on Chuck’s thigh.

 

“Told you,” he says, placing a kiss against Chuck’s knee. “Just let me take care of you.”

 

Chuck lets out a huffy sigh, and shifts his lower back a little against the pillow. “‘Kay,” he breathes. “Trust you,” he adds a few seconds later, which prompts Raleigh to kiss his knee again. And takes another deep breath, because this could take a while, and he really needs to calm down.

 

Raleigh works his two digits in and out of Chuck in a slow, constant pace, scissoring them apart as far as he can, but Chuck’s still so, so tight. He loses track of time a little, the slide of his fingers in and out of Chuck almost hypnotic, and only snaps out of it when Chuck lets out a whine.

 

“You okay, babe?” Raleigh asks, his hand stroking Chuck’s thigh.

 

“Yeah, um… could you… you know… that spot?” Chuck mumbles, squirming, his voice sounding a little weary.

 

 _Dammit, Raleigh, you’re such an idiot_. So focused on making it not hurt for Chuck you kinda forgot to make him feel good too, and now it sounds like he’s falling asleep or something. Fuck.

 

Pissed at himself for letting the tension waver, Raleigh leans forward and licks at Chuck’s cock, which has lost most of its hardness. He feels it jump back to life as soon as his tongue runs over the skin though, and grins, because he was almost afraid Chuck had lost interest or something.

 

“The _other_ spot,” Chuck grumbles, lifting his head just to frown at Raleigh.

 

“Oh… you mean _this_ one?” Raleigh replies, and curls his fingers up, groping around until Chuck lets out a loud cry. Raleigh places his lips against Chuck’s cock and is pleased to find it stiffening again.

 

“What the—wow,” Chuck gasps. “Do it again, come on.”

 

Raleigh laughs and teasingly rubs his fingers over Chuck’s prostate, his lips and tongue pressed to Chuck’s dick because he loves feeling the result of fingering Chuck right there on his mouth.

 

“Oh, fuck,” Chuck groans, and then, “More, do more,” wriggling down on Raleigh’s fingers. And really, Raleigh is a fucking dumbass because now he feels Chuck relax around his digits, the worst tightness fading away. He should’ve done it like this in the first place, making Chuck feel good and nice instead of focusing on the stretching alone. Sigh. He blames it on being out of practice.

 

When Chuck’s cock is getting upright again Raleigh wraps his lips around the tip, circles the pads of his fingers down over Chuck’s prostate and when Chuck goes “ _oh god oh fuck Raleigh, Raleigh”,_ he squirts more lube on his hand and pushes in a third finger.

 

“Aaaah, Raleigh, fuck, is that... oh, fuck, it hurts,” Chuck whimpers, but he’s bearing down on Raleigh’s fingers anyway.

 

Raleigh pulls off Chuck’s cock to press kisses onto his inner thigh. “You’re so gorgeous, you know that, so amazing,” he breathes, almost reverent, because Chuck _is_ amazing and he still can’t quite believe they’re like this, together, Chuck being all trusting and open in his hands.

 

Raleigh works his three digits in and out of Chuck, pressing and scissoring, more urgently now, and this time, paying attention, teasing Chuck’s prostate and licking at his balls and cock until Chuck’s hips are moving so much he’s practically fucking himself on Raleigh’s hands.

 

“Raleigh, come on, please, please,” Chuck begs, and the reality of _Chuck begging_ drives through Raleigh with mind-numbing heat like Gipsy’s core is flaring up inside his chest. Raleigh’s satisfied with the way Chuck’s asshole feels around his fingers, softened and wet, and he pulls them out. Chuck whines and then practically _claws_ at Raleigh’s shoulders trying to yank him up.

 

“Please,” Chuck whimpers again as Raleigh crawls up to him, “Please, just…”

 

Raleigh grins, kisses Chuck, and then—because he is a horrible tease and nothing gives him more joy than to hear Chuck beg, apparently—he nips at Chuck’s ear and whispers, “Please what, Chuck?”

 

Chuck’s way past the point of pretending to be a cocky little shit so instead he lifts his legs up and rolls his hips up towards Raleigh’s dick. “Please fuck me,” Chuck gasps.

 

Raleigh kisses Chuck again, then sits back and positions the head of his cock against Chuck’s opening. Looks up and meets Chuck’s gaze. There’s that same look they had before, weeks ago, that whole _we’re really doing it_ look. But Chuck looks a little less unnerved now, a little less guarded. Raleigh smiles. “Don’t close your eyes,” he says, ‘cause he wants to see exactly what having Raleigh’s dick inside Chuck is gonna do to him. Chuck nods, holds his breath.

 

Raleigh places a hand on Chuck’s hip to hold him steady and uses his other hand to guide his cock inside, nice and slow. Chuck exhales as he pushes in and whoa, he didn’t even tell Chuck to do that, but it works, and as Chuck releases the tension Raleigh thrusts in further.

 

Chuck hisses, makes a choked sound, doesn’t say anything. Raleigh sinks in deeper and grits his teeth, ‘cause Chuck is still tight but _so fucking hot_ , and then he bottoms out, his full length buried inside Chuck’s ass and it’s so good his skin is crawling, white-hot and ice-cold at the same time. There’s no condom to dull any sensations, not that that used to bother him much but it’s so much more intense like this, feeling Chuck’s wet, inner skin sliding around his dick.

 

Raleigh groans, fingers digging into Chuck’s sides. “Babe, you feel so good inside,” he breathes. “So good.”

 

Their eyes are still locked and Raleigh is in wonder with all the expressions that cross Chuck’s face, pain, surprise, desire, annoyance, arrogance, pleasure, and now, definitely impatience. Raleigh reaches a hand up to Chuck’s face and cups his jaw, running a thumb over Chuck’s cheek. Chuck turns his head a little and wraps his lips around Raleigh’s thumb and _fuck_ that’s hot.

 

Then Raleigh begins to move, rolling his hips back and forth in long, smooth movements, groaning with every thrust because it’s so much, almost too much, Chuck gazing at him with want and arousal and they’re connected like this, staring into each other. Raleigh’s hand snakes behind Chuck’s head and runs into his hair, and pulls Chuck upright a little. He wants Chuck to see it, to see Raleigh go inside him, for some reason. The angle isn’t right, though.

 

“Chuck,” he breathes, “Gonna switch positions.” Raleigh pulls out, eliciting a frustrated moan from Chuck, and then Raleigh rolls onto his back and Chuck sits there, kind of confused.

 

“You like being on top, don’t you?” Raleigh grins, patting his hips. Chuck’s frown vanishes and he grins, climbs on top of Raleigh and straddles him.

 

“How do I…” Chuck breathes, wriggling his hips and trying to figure out how to get Raleigh back inside him. It’s incredible to see Chuck so eager and willing and Raleigh is in a real damn hurry to get back inside Chuck’s tight heat. Raleigh puts a hand on Chuck’s hip and holds his own cock steady at the base. Chuck’s hand slides down too and Raleigh groans when it wraps around him.

 

“Fuck, babe, come on,” Raleigh gasps before he can stop himself, and Chuck grins because now it’s Raleigh who’s doing the begging and he likes that, too.

 

Chuck guides Raleigh’s cock back to his opening and then, carefully, dips down, letting Raleigh sink back into him. Raleigh groans, throwing his head back into the pillow as Chuck’s heat engulfs his length again, then tries to sit back up because he really wants to see what Chuck looks like now and the answer is _fucking gorgeous_.

 

Chuck’s head is thrown back, lips parted, eyes closed, eyelids fluttering, Chuck’s hands placed loosely on Raleigh’s abs. And between Chuck’s legs, Raleigh’s cock, smoothly sliding into Chuck's body.

 

“Oh, jesus, Chuck,” Raleigh groans, and Chuck opens his eyes, gazes at him, grins, and then slams his hips all the way down. Raleigh _growls_.

 

And that’s it, that’s it for trying to think or change movements or teasing or whatever. Chuck is relentless. In about two seconds he figures out _just_ the right angle to have Raleigh’s dick hit his prostate on every downward roll of his hips and Chuck fucking _rides_ him and all Raleigh can do is meet Chuck’s every plunge with a thrust of his own hips. Raleigh’s hands dig into Chuck’s thighs, fingers pressing down so hard they’re bruising and fuck, it’s amazing, it’s mind-blowing, it’s so fucking good and then Chuck cries out, hot spurts of come spilling over Raleigh’s stomach, clenching his ass in quick pulses and Raleigh whimpers in response. It’s too much, it’s way too much.

 

“Gonna come,” he manages to grit out, hands pushing at Chuck to shove him off but Chuck just _slams down_ and groans ‘inside me’. And that’s it, that drives him over the fucking edge, mind shorting the fuck out, everything is _static_ and _white_ and _fuck so good, so good, it’s so fucking good—_

  


 

Raleigh’s still shaking from his orgasm and Chuck is shaking on top of him, collapsed over his chest, creating a sticky mess of sweat and semen between them. And Raleigh feels himself slip out of Chuck followed by a hot, liquid sensation which he can only figure is his come trickling out. Christ, that’s way more of a turn-on than it has any right to be. He wraps his arms around Chuck and rolls to the side and Chuck is grinning at him, eyes sparkling and everything.

 

“Hey,” Raleigh says, because he can’t really do words anymore. Just smiles, that ought to be good enough for now.

 

“Hey,” Chuck replies, grinning, probably in a similar state of mind.

 

And that’s it for them, they could have some nice pillow talk, but instead they just fall asleep and wake up hours later feeling sore, sticky and damn satisfied. Chuck takes a shower whilst Raleigh continues to snore and then kisses Raleigh’s forehead mumbling ‘g’night, babe,’ and leaves for his own quarters. It isn’t until Chuck’s footsteps have faded down the hallway that Raleigh realizes it’s the first time Chuck called him an affectionate pet name and he kind of flails into his pillow like a lovesick teenager.

  
  
  
  
  


The next day they have to tolerate Mako’s grinning at Chuck’s inability to walk like a normal person and Raleigh is basically strutting around the Shatterdome like he owns the place. Until he runs into Herc who actually owns the place and may have given some tacit approval of their relationship or whatever it is but has put two and two together and is supremely uncomfortable with the conclusion.

 

“Tone it the hell down, Becket,” he growls at Raleigh, and after that Raleigh struts a bit more carefully.

  


 

 

It’s a few days later when Raleigh’s going over the Shatterdome’s shutdown protocols with Tendo that his old friend asks, “So, what’s the deal with you and Chuck?”

 

And Raleigh pauses, because he doesn’t really know. They’re together, right? Together together. But then it’s been a couple of days and after that when he saw Chuck things were… amicable, Chuck still avoiding any public displays of affection, and saying he’s too busy helping Herc. Which is kind of a new thing, Chuck and Herc being around each other more often without throwing stuff and actually _talking_ to each other.

 

Raleigh’s still a man of action, though. “Dunno,” he answers Tendo. “Call him up here.”

 

Tendo does, about about ten minutes later Chuck climbs into LOCCENT.

 

“Whaddaya want, Tendo?” he sulks, and Raleigh notices Chuck’s covered in dust and grease so he _has_ been busy tearing things down in the ‘Dome and not just avoiding Raleigh. Whom Chuck then notices is present.

 

“Raleigh,” Chuck says, pausing, not sure what to do. Tendo’s there, and a few other people of LOCCENT staff, coordinating the facility’s shutdown.

 

Raleigh walks up to him, grabs Chuck’s hands, and immediately tightens his grip because he already knows Chuck wants to pull back. Looks at him. “Chuck,” he starts.

 

Heads in LOCCENT turn towards them, because really, basically _everyone_ has been talking about them, Tendo’s informed Raleigh.

 

“Er… yeah?” Chuck replies, not really avoiding Raleigh’s gaze, and blushing fiercely instead.

 

“Do you… want to be together with me? Like, in a relationship together,” Raleigh says.

 

Chuck turns even redder, eyes flitting around, and yeah, everyone is staring at them.

 

Raleigh grins, noticing the familiar twitches on Chuck’s face that means he is both embarrassed and pissed off, which has to be Raleigh’s second favorite expression on Chuck’s face. First one is embarrassed and turned on, really. Or pissed off and turned on? Maybe he should rethink that. Later, because right now, he’s waiting for an answer.

 

“Fuck you, Becket,” Chuck grins. Gasps from the audience. “Did you hit your head at the bottom of the ocean or have you always been this stupid?” Chuck hands dig into Raleigh’s sweater and pull him close. “Figured we were already together, ya wanker.” And kisses him.

 

There’s applause. Raleigh grins. Because Tendo’s turned on the feedback from the rest of the Shatterdome and there’s more applause in the room than can reasonably come from people in LOCCENT.

 

“What the… what did you do,” Chuck glowers.

 

“Oh, I dunno, turned on the microphone and broadcasted it everywhere, maybe,” Tendo grins.

 

“I’m gonna kill you,” Chuck growls.

 

Raleigh’s arms wrap around Chuck’s waist. “Come on, honey, no killing Tendo today,” he purrs.

 

Chuck’s elbow hits him in the gut in the most loving way possible.


End file.
